The Jealousy Game
by IWasGoingSomewhereWithThis
Summary: Junko Enoshima is bored. She hasn't caused any true despair in a while, and the small things are starting to lose their novelty. When she overhears that Kyoko Kirigiri is going on a date with Makoto Naegi, her dumb sister Mukuro Ikusaba's crush, she finds a new way to cause despair. "If you want Naegi to notice you, you need to make him jealous."
1. The Set Up

**Hello again ladies and gentlemen! This is one of two multi-chapter stories I have cross posted on both ArchiveofOurOwn and on Tumblr. I figured I might as well share it here as well. I'll be posting each chapter I have up to the most recent update everyday, and then I'll be trying to post a new chapter each Monday.**

 **Some small notes before we continue: This is not meant to be a Kiyosaba romance, it is a friendship. The final pairing for Mukuro is still up in the air, and most of this is written in first person. Some of the chapters will also have a different format as I had written them for a school assignment, so be prepared for that as well.**

 **That is all I have to say, so I won't be leaving any more authors notes for the rest of the story, unless I absolutely need to.**

* * *

Junko Enoshima is bored. She hasn't gotten a good dose of despair in a while, not counting the small things (when Fujisaki "lost" his flash drive containing a week's worth of programming, or when Maizono had lost her voice before a show), but those weren't much, and the span of them had been too long for her to really feel the effects of the despair taking place. She needed something _more_.

Siting in the cafeteria, waiting for her sister to return with their lunch, listening to the idle chatter of her peers. She needed to think of something big, something that will really fill up someone with despair. But who could she use as her target?

"Junko, I brought you your lunch…" Junko looks up to see her sister Mukuro with two trays of food. Perfect! Some food should help brainstorm some new ways to spread her wonderful, luxurious despair!

"Thank you Mukuro-nee-chan. Now I can…" Junko paused as Mukuro places her tray in front of her. The best of the cafeteria food was placed in front of her, just at the right temperature and looking absolutely delicious...however...

"Hey, nee-chan, where's the pudding I asked for?"

Mukuro flinches, her eyes dropping to the floor. Junko gives her sister the most sickeningly sweet smile she could muster.

"I'm sorry, Junko, but they didn't have any ready at the counter…" Mukuro answers softly, unable to meet her sister's gaze. Junko felt her eye twitch. Normally, the this would cause her a small ounce of despair, and she would let her sister feel the same wonderful feeling she was...but...she didn't feel despair at all. At least, not enough for her to really want to spread it. All she could feel was anger, and that's what Junko decided she would spread to her sister.

"So you couldn't wait for them to make more? You decided that you wanted to just forget about the pudding? What kind of terrible sister are you?" Junko seethes, watching as her sister leans back, her disgustingly pasty face paling to an even fairer shade. "Well, don't just stand there, if you really are a good sister, you'll go get me the pudding I wanted!" Junko hisses out, and she watches as Mukuro apologizes, bowing her head before she turned and went to grab the pudding. Looking back to her food, Junko grabs her fork and stabs at the food harshly. What a disappointment her sister was. Super High School Disappointment, that's what Mukuro was. Before she could go further into her anger, a happy voice broke through behind her.

"Congratulations, Kirigiri! Aren't you excited?" Junko turns around to see Super High School Off-Key and Super High School Daddy's Brat sitting at a nearby lunch table, Maizono looking far too pleased for Junko's liking, while Kirigiri seemed unfazed, but Junko notices that there was a faint blush to her cheeks.

"I'm not entirely sure. I'm glad Naegi has agreed, perhaps now I'll be able to understand my situation better." Kirigiri responded.

"So where are you going to go? It's your first date after all, it should probably be somewhere nice, not too crowded, like maybe a cafe or a nice park stroll?"

Oh? What's this? Kirigiri has a date with Naegi? Interesting, perhaps she can cause some despair for them there? But how could she do it?

"Junko, I got the pudding you asked for, the first of the batch." Junko turns back around in time to see Mukuro set a cup of vanilla pudding on her tray. Junko wanted to scream at Mukuro, because her sister should know she _hates_ vanilla pudding. It's so boring and stereotypical, just like Muk-

Wait. That's it.

"Thank you so much, Muku-nee-chan." Junko says, putting on her best cutesy voice. "I'm so sorry I got mad at you, nee-chan." She bats her eyes at her sister, a small pout on her lip-glossed lips, waiting for the inevitable forgiveness. It comes when Mukuro smiles at her softly, her shoulders slumping only a little bit.

"It's alright, Junko. It was my fault for not being a good sister."

"No, I insist, I have to make it up to you!" Junko says, before scooting over and motioning for Mukuro to sit beside her. "I had an idea about how you can win over Naegi." Junko whispers in a teasing voice, causing Mukuro to blush scarlet.

"Wha-"

"Please Muku-nee-chan? It'll be sure to work, I promise!" Junko says, and Mukuro looks around just in case before nodding.

"Well, if you want Naegi to notice you, you need to make him jealous."

"...Jealous?" Mukuro parrots, and Junko has to hold back a smirk. Instead, she nods eagerly before continuing.

"I just read about it in one of my favorite magazines. If you make yourself look unavailable, the more the guys will want you. So if you pretend to be in a relationship, then Naegi-kun will get super jealous, and will totally try and win you over from your 'boyfriend'." Junko says, her eyes glinting something dangerous. She watches in glee as Mukuro mulls this over.

"But, wouldn't that just turn him away instead?" Mukuro asks her, and Junko is prepared for this.

"A simple boy like Naegi? He'll practically be begging to be your boyfriend, especially with me helping you. No boy will be able to resist you!" Junko says, throwing her arm around her sister's shoulders, bringing her close into a hug. "All you have to do is find a boy who's willing to pretend to be your boyfriend, and leave the rest to me, okay?" Junko gives her the biggest puppy eyed look, and it only takes a moment until Mukuro cracks, smiling nervously at her sister.

"Thank you Junko. I'll find someone, alright?" Mukuro says, although she still looks completely nervous, to which Junko just laughs heartily and begins to eat, reassuring her stupid sister that everything would be fine.

Of course, what Mukuro didn't realize was that she was now Junko's target for the biggest amount of despair yet.

"Upupupupu!"


	2. The Boyfriend

Mukuro walks down the hallway towards the Safety Committee's office feeling pensive. Her sister had told her that she needed to find someone to pretend date before the end of the school day, and Mukuro had obliged, but now she is at a loss. Mukuro usually tended to stay close to Junko mostly, she wasn't close to any boys in her class, or anyone really for that matter. She was usually too busy doing daily tasks for her sister to be bothered to make friends. She was somewhat close to Oogami, but that was only as a sparring partner to keep up her daily regimen as a soldier, and she hardly considered them "friends". At most they were acquaintances, but even then, Oogami was female, so that was pointless.

Mukuro was so engrossed by her thoughts that she failed to realize she made it to the office until she was abruptly greeted by the head of the committee, Kiyotaka Ishimaru.

"Ah! Perfect timing Ikusaba, I was just about to start my route." Mukuro snaps out of it in time to nod her head towards Ishimaru. He was one of the few people she was able to relate to in terms of school. His attitudes and mannerisms reminded her of Fenrir, and his loud voice and almost military type actions gave her a sense of familiarity. When he had made the offer of forming the safety committee, she had jumped on the chance. The Safety Committee made her feel comfortable in her skin as a soldier in school. Plus Kiyotaka didn't bother with any small talks or distractions, he was straight to the point, which Ikusaba was grateful for. The two of them were able to work together well, and Mukuro was able to say she considered Ishimaru an ally.

Now that she thought about it, maybe she could ask Ishimaru? No, he wouldn't agree to that, Ishimaru was someone who detested PDA, who thought romantic relationships were detrimental to learning, so he would probably say no to being her "fake boyfriend". But who else would she be able to ask?

"Ishimaru." Mukuro calls out, and Ishimaru stops in the doorway. He turns back around to look at Mukuro in confusion.

"Yes, Ikusaba? Is there something the matter?" Ishimaru asks her. Normally Mukuro rarely says anything when their routes were to start, but by the time Mukuro gets back, Ishimaru is usually walking out the door to head off home.

"I have an… odd request of you." Mukuro starts, and Ishimaru nods his head, glancing behind him with slight impatience. Always so meticulous. Well, it was now or never. "Will you pretend to be my boyfriend?" Mukuro asks, her gaze wavering slightly, and her face starting to heat up.

A long pause as the Ishimaru stares at her with wide eyes. He steps back inside the office, shutting the door behind him.

"...Ikusaba, you are the last person I expected to ask me something as trivial as that." Ishimaru says slowly, he eyes her as if she had grown a second head. Mukuro feels her instincts to retreat heighten; this is the most awkward situation she has ever been in. "Why on earth would you need me to do something like that?" Ishimaru asks her, and she can tell he was trying to wrap his head around the situation. She quickly explains:

"My sister is trying to help me with...something, and she has told me I need to find a boy to be my 'boyfriend' before the school day has ended." Mukuro is pleading in her mind that Ishimaru wouldn't press further.

"What could you possibly need a fake boyfriend for?" So much for that.

"Well...it's...I…" Mukuro really felt her face heat up, looking down at her boots. She takes a deep breath. "If you tell a soul, I will make your life actual hell." Mukuro threatened, her face serious. Ishimaru raised an eyebrow, but she could see the nervousness in his eyes.

"I promise I won't tell a soul." Ishimaru states, and Mukuro takes a deep breath.

"I'm attempting to make Naegi jealous. Junko says that if I look 'unavailable' it would make him like me." Mukuro confesses, and Ishimaru tilts his head.

"Wouldn't it just be easier to tell him?" Ishimaru asks. His answer is Mukuro furiously shaking her head. "Well, why me? I'm sure there are plenty of better options…"

"You're the only boy I'm close to."

"I see…" Ishimaru shuffles his feet, looking contemplative. "Well, alright." Mukuro shakes her head.

"Alright?"

"Yes, I'll help you. I suppose it will be helpful to both of us, with you being able to get Naegi's attention and for me I could use this as practice for what an actual 'relationship' is like." Ishimaru states, nodding his head, although his face is also slightly tinged pink. Mukuro smiles at Ishimaru, and bows slightly.

"Thank you, Ishimaru."

"You're welcome, Ikusaba. We'll need to set up some rules. But for now I must head on my route, I'm already-" Ishimaru looks at his watch and jumps. "Seven minutes behind schedule! If you excuse me." Ishimaru throws the door open and rushes out, leaving Mukuro to stand alone. Ishimaru has agreed to be her fake boyfriend. She isn't entirely sure how to feel about it, but at least now she can go back to Junko and confidently say she performed her task. Grabbing her notepad and sash, Mukuro takes after Ishimaru's lead and begins her own route.


	3. The Plan

Once the day was over, Mukuro returned to Junko and informed her that Ishimaru had agreed to the plan.

"Ishimaru? You mean the one with a stick up his ass about relationships?" Junko asked her skeptically, before she scoffed "you sure know how to pick them sis."

The next day Junko had told her to keep Ishimaru at the safety committee room after their routes were over at the end of the day so they could discuss the rules of their "relationship". Which is why the three of them were currently sat in the small office.

"How do you guys hold meetings in here? It's like a broom closet." Junko complains, as she makes herself comfortable in Mukuro's seat.

"It was the only room available to us at the time. All of the other club rooms were taken." Ishimaru explains. "Besides, we usually aren't in this room for very long, most of our meetings take about ten minutes at most since it is just the two of us here." Ishimaru gestures to Mukuro and himself.

"Well, at least this will seem more believable to everyone. I wouldn't be surprised if people already thought you two were dating as it is." Junko says, and she holds back a laugh as both her sister and Ishimaru both turn red in the face. However, Junko quickly turns serious and slams her hands on the table, getting the two flustered teens to look at her "So here's what's going to happen; to make this work, you two need to figure out what each other like and don't like. Sit together during lunch, act all lovey dovey, even if it means getting sappy."

"Lovey-dovey?" Ishimaru raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"Yeah, like call each other cute nicknames or pet names, Muku could feed you your lunch, things like that." Junko explained. Ishimaru began to stammer, and Mukuro looked down, feeling extremely uncomfortable.

"Junko, I don't think…" Mukuro began, but Junko cut her off.

"You don't what? You don't think you can do this? How do you think being in an actual relationship with Naegi will be?" Junko snaps, and Mukuro flinched. "This is how people act when they're dating, so if you want it to be realistic, you have to do what I'm telling you." Junko states. Mukuro looks over at Ishimaru. He has a pensive look on his face, clearly mulling over what Junko was saying. "This will be good practice for both of you. Now, since tomorrow is Saturday, what a better way to spend the weekend than to go out on a nice 'date' to that new cafe downtown?"

"That's not acceptable, I have studying I need to catch up on for classes." Ishimaru snaps out of his thoughts, protesting the idea. Junko just sighs, she had been expecting such.

"If you go out on a date now, then it will be easier for you guys to act on Monday. If you guys try to learn more about each other during school, it'll make them more suspicious and the whole thing will flop!" Junko says.

"I thought we were just trying to make Naegi-kun jealous?" Ishimaru asks "Isn't that who Ikusaba is trying to impress?"

"The overall goal is for Naegi to get jealous, but if the others don't believe it, then he'll catch on pretty quick that you two clearly are not dating and this whole plan will backfire. It's part of the foundation." Junko can feel her patience thinning, with the way her sister and Ishimaru are constantly trying to contradict or protest. She reminds herself that this is for the sake of despair, and keeps her cool. "Now are you going to keep argueing with me or can we finish this up?" At the silence, Junko takes it as her cue to continue.

"Now then, Ishimaru, Mukuro will be expecting you by 11 o'clock tomorrow at our house." She takes out a piece of paper and quickly writes down the address and passes it to him. "You will be escorting her to that new cafe, and you will get to know each other better. This date is more about the two of you learning about each other rather than acting all romantic, so don't worry too much about that, that will be the next date, understood?" Ishimaru nods, and Junko stands up. "Great! Make sure you dress casual. I think that's all we need to discuss today." Junko starts to walk out. "Let's go Mukuro, we need to get home so I can help you find something to wear!" Junko walks out the door, leaving Mukuro and Ishimaru inside. Ishimaru begins to grab his things, and Mukuro goes to follow her sister, but she stops.

"Ishimaru?" Mukuro says, and Ishimaru pauses to look at her.

"Thank you, for doing this." Mukuro tells him, before she leaves to follow Junko, not waiting for Ishimaru's response. After all, she didn't want to make her sister wait.


	4. The First Date

Junko hums as she fiddles with some last minute touches on Mukuro's makeup. She wants to make sure it looks absolutely flawless for her 'date' in fifteen minutes.

"Aaaaaand done! Now you'll look passable for going on a date." Junko says. She passes Mukuro a large hand mirror, who takes it and looks at her reflection. She has made Mukuro's make up a more subtle look; a very pale pink eyeshadow, a light blush on her cheeks, and a skin toned gloss on her lips. Mukuro looks hesitant as she scrutinizes the look.

"Junko, are you sure I need to wear this? It feels like I have something caked on my skin…" Mukuro asks, blinking more than usual at the foreign feeling on her eyes. Being a soldier, make up is never something she had to worry about, it was pointless really.

"Of course it is sis! Every girl wears makeup on their dates, she has to look absolutely perfect so her boyfriend won't lose interest." Junko replies to her flippantly, waving her hand around.

"But...I'm not really dating Ishimaru…"

"No duh, I know you have better tastes than that" Junko puts her hands on her hips, and Mukuro frowns at her words. "But again, this is practice for a real date. If you don't put your all into them, how else will you know what you're doing when you win over Mr. Luckster?" Mukuro looks down at her hands, and she tries not to pick at the nail polish she's wearing by straightening the new skirt Junko bought her.

"You're right sis."

"Of course I'm right, now let's go over what I told you one more time before your date arrives." Junko says, clapping her hands together. "What are your goals for today?"

"Learning more about my targe...boyfriend."

"Like?"

"His family, his hobbies, his birthday, all types of intel that I can use for convincing our classmates that we are dating." Mukuro replies, and Junko grins at her.

"Corrrrrect! Now what are you supposed to do when you head home?" Junko asks, and Mukuro blushes lightly.

"I...you told me to take hold of his hand…" Mukuro says.

"Why?"

"Because if any of our classmates see us they'll assume we are dating."

"...and?"

"...and that is what couples normally do on dates." Mukuro finishes, and Junko looks extremely pleased, which has Mukuro relieved. A smile grows on her face, when the doorbell rings.

"Looks like your date is here, Muku. It's show time!"

() () () () () () ()

It's only been about five minutes since Ishimaru and Mukuro had entered the small cafe, and the atmosphere can be described as only one thing; awkward. The two were both looking at the menus, both trying to figure out what exactly to say.

'Junko had told me what to say, but she hadn't told me how to start it.' Mukuro thinks, glancing over at Ishimaru, who looks over the menu intensely as he tries to figure out what to get. When the waitress arrives, the two both jump, and order their meals. When the waitress walks away, they sit in silence, staring down at the table. Ishimaru clears his throat.

"So, Ikusaba, what would you like to talk about?" Ishimaru asks, and Mukuro stares at him, unsure how to begin.

"Well...Junko had told me we need to learn more about each other. So I guess we could start with ourselves." Mukuro replies, and Ishimaru nods.

"Well, I guess we could start with that. I'm 17 years old, born on August 31st." Ishimaru beings, and Mukuro nods her head. "I live with my father, who is a police officer."

"What happened to your mother? Do you have siblings?" Mukuro interjects when Ishimaru pauses.

"I do not have any brothers or sisters, and my mother...passed away some years ago…" Ishimaru looks down at the cup of water in front of him. Mukuro also looks down at her glass, looking at her reflection. The atmosphere has shifted once more, this time going from awkward to uncomfortable. Mukuro isn't sure what to say to Ishimaru; things like this have never been her speciality.

"What about you?" Mukuro snaps her head up to see Ishimaru staring at her, his face no longer sullen, but curious.

"...Well...my birthday is December 24th, and it's just Junko and myself." Mukuro begins slowly. "We were seperated for a while when I joined Fenrir, but now we look after each other. We are all we have." Ishimaru hums, looking thoughtful.

"What was it like being a soldier?" Ishimaru asks, and Mukuro leans back, not expecting that kind of question. She had just been expecting basic questions, nothing too personal. Yet she should have, it was Ishimaru, and he made sure to put his all into everything.

"It's intense. You need to have the right kind of mental qualities in order to be a soldier, especially in Fenrir. They push you to your limits, making you go faster, challenge yourself. When I was in the field for the first time, all I could feel was my heart pound, my blood rushing through my veins."

"That sounds terrifying."

"It was at first, but I grew accustomed to it, and soon, it became second nature. There was never a dull moment." Mukuro smiles to herself, remembering her time with Fenrir. "I miss it sometimes." Ishimaru is silent, and Mukuro fears she has said something strange. Before she can say anything, the waitress returns with their food. Once she leaves, the two begin to eat.

"It's commendable, what you've accomplished." Ishimaru says softly, and Mukuro looks at him. He looks at her, and the two both begin to smile. Somehow, the 'date' they are on seems more relaxed, and they are able to continue their conversation easily as they eat.


	5. The Big Reveal & A Confrontation

Mukuro is walking down the hallway on her patrol, keeping a diligent eye out for any trouble makers. To onlookers, they would think that she is only thinking of her duty, completely focused as the soldier she is. At any other time, they would be correct, but not today. Her mind is focused on earlier events, specifically the reactions of her peers to the announcement she and Ishimaru had made earlier. It had consisted of many shocked faces, and she had felt a weird atmosphere as some of their classmates had congratulated them. However, it had been Makoto's reaction that she is thinking about the most. He had come in late with Kirigiri, and Junko had relayed the news to them in a gloating manner.

 _"Oh, really? That's great you guys!" He had said happily, giving that beautiful smile of his, and she tried not to blush as she searched his face for any hint of jealousy, but she didn't have too much of a chance, as Kirigiri distracted her._

 _"You're dating Ishimaru?" She asked, as if to confirm what she had heard was true...as if she had been expecting something else._

 _"Yes, I-" Mukuro had started, but Junko had cut her off._

 _"Yep! I'm so happy for my sister! They're just sooooo cute together!" Her voice had been especially loud, and Mukuro almost missed the snapping noise in the background, but didn't bother to see what it was, instead focusing on Kirigiri's face, who seemed skeptical._

 _"I see…congratulations." Her face had gone blank, but Mukuro had seen a flash of something on her face, but couldn't pinpoint what it was. Soon after, the teacher walked in, and the lessons began, the reactions had ended there._

This left Ikusaba where she was currently. Now that the class knows that they're supposedly "dating", she feels extremely anxious. Now she has to be even more attentive to her interactions with Ishimaru, make sure they appear loving enough to keep up the facade. She feels extremely out of her element, but she hopes that it will get easier with time. Ishimaru had asked her if a "date" on Saturday would be suitable, and she agreed. She will admit she feels proud of herself that she and Ishimaru had made a date without Junko's prompting. Maybe her sister will be proud of her.

A sudden flash of yellow caught her attention, snapping her out of her thoughts, and she quickly leaned back before whatever it was hit her, then looks down to see a broken #2 pencil on the ground. She quickly turns around to see who had thrown the object, ready to detain them and give them a detention slip, and is faced with Oowada leaning against the lockers, giving her an unimpressed look.

"Oowada, why did you throw this pencil at me?" Mukuro asks him, not beating around the bush. The biker straightens up and walks towards her, attempting to intimidate her with his height and build. Mukuro admires his attempt, but she isn't afraid of him.

"Wanted to talk to ya, but ya seemed lost in yer own little world, so I figured that'd snap ya outta it." He says, acting as if he did nothing wrong, and Mukuro narrows her eyes.

"Well, you have it. What do you want?" She's annoyed at the fact that he got her attention this way, and she has no problem letting it show, but she tries to remain calm enough not to snap at him. After all, this is her "boyfriend's" best friend, it wouldn't do to be on bad terms with him.

Oowada glares down at her, not saying anything, before he clicks his tongue and averts his gaze. "Look, Ishimaru is a good guy. Like...a really good guy. He hasn't done anything wrong, and he'll go to hell n' back for the people he cares about." He scratches the back of his neck, color lightly dusting his cheeks. Mukuro's glare lessens, and the annoyance slowly begins to fade. "Despite that, Ishimaru ain't exactly...he's not the best with social cues n' he's kind of pushy but he's really endearing n' he'll always put ya first." Oowada's voice begins to raise in volume as he continues, and Mukuro recognizes the look in his eyes. She knows it quite well.

Oowada shakes his head, before he glares down at her. "Just...treat him well okay? If you make him happy then...I'm glad, but if I find out that you hurt him in any way I swear I'll-" He cuts himself off, and his fists turn white as he balls them so hard. Mukuro stares at him for a minute as the annoyance she had felt initially dissipates, and a new feeling takes its place: _Guilt_.

"I promise you I won't hurt him." She tells him, and she means it. Ishimaru has been very helpful, and she doesn't wish any ill intention towards him. They stare at each other for a minute, before Oowada's stance loosens up. "I am, however, going to give you a detention slip." She says, whipping out her notepad, and Oowada just nods, having accepted that. She gives him the slip, and he turns and walks the other direction, waving her off.

She watches him for a moment, before she turns around and continues her treck down the hallway. A knot had formed in her stomach from that interaction, and she tries to push it from her mind as she continues her duties. She doesn't want to think about how she saw the reflected feelings in Oowada's eyes, the same feeling she gets when she looks towards Naegi, who still seems so far away from her reach, the feeling she gets when others are able to talk to him, when she daydreams about properly interacting with him and having his wonderful smile directed at her, only for it to never be.

That oh so horrible, gut wrenching feeling of **_jealousy_**.


	6. The Park Date

After a week of awkward lunches, discussions, and attempts to show off (mostly at Junko's commands), Saturday rolls around. Mukuro sits through another makeover session from Junko, who's reminding her of how to act, what to do, and how to compose herself before Ishimaru comes to picks her up. They had agreed to go to the park today, forcing both of them to be more exposed and out of their element.

As they are walking, Mukuro's hand accidentally brushes Ishimaru's, and she sees him visibly flinch, and he mutters an apology. She doesn't say anything, but she remembers Junko's words in her mind.

"Be assertive! If you don't take action, then you're not gonna get anywhere!" Her sister had said, pointing one of her manicured fingers towards her temple, her voice giving an authoritative tone. Keeping this in mind, she peers down, and when she has a proper opportunity, she takes a gentle hold of Ishimaru's hand. He jolts, eyes widening. Mukuro looks over at him in concern.

"Are you okay?" She doesn't release his hand, and Ishimaru looks over at her in surprise. He looks uncomfortable, and her hand begins to drop before he grabs it again, in a firmer grip.

"I-I'm fine! I...just was not expecting it, that's all." He says, and he lets out a loud, nervous chuckle. "B-besides! This is what normal couples do, right?" He asks, more to himself than her. Mukuro nods either way, and they continue walking. Mukuro can feel the weird atmosphere lift as they continue, and they are able to have an idle conversation as they make they continue their journey to the park.

Upon their arrival, the pair find it's fairly crowded, and their grip on their hands instinctively tighten as so not to lose the other. They both look over at each other, confused. Ishimaru lets out a laugh, and Mukuro smiles. The hand holding suddenly feels a lot more comforting, and they continue onwards, making their way through the crowd.

"This is really nice." Ishimaru tells her, and Mukuro nods. "I was worried it was going to be overly crowded, since it is a weekend, but this is not so bad."

"I agree. The weather is perfect too." Mukuro adds, and Ishimaru hums in agreement, before they fall into silence once more. Mukuro chews on her bottom lip. This is what she had been warned about.

"Don't let it fall into a weird silence! You won't be able to keep him entertained!"

Mukuro tries to think of a conversation starter, something that wasn't boring or repetitive. 'What would Junko talk about? What would she do?' She thinks, and she turns towards Ishimaru just as someone bumps into him.

"Watch where you're going, ya nerd!" The stranger says. He's got straightened hair, and his shirt opened up to show off his undershirt, and the girl next to him glares. Before Ishimaru can say anything, Mukuro steps up.

"Why don't you watch where _you're_ going you wannabe?" She says, and her eyes widen as she realizes she had still been thinking like Junko.

"Excuse me? Who do you think you're talking to?" The boy says, and the girl clings to his arm, glaring at her coldly. He takes a step towards her, and before she can retaliate, Ishimaru steps in front of her.

"Back off, jerkwad. You aren't going to hurt my girl any time soon!" Is what comes out of Ishimaru's mouth, and Mukuro gives him a curious glance. _Ishimaru never spoke like that…_

"Oh yeah? And just what are you going to do about it?" The boy gets in Ishimaru's face, and Ishimaru's glare just hardens.

"Wouldn't you like to know, punk?" Ishimaru shoots back, and he goes to crack his knuckles. The guy sneers, before he shoves Ishimaru back a step.

"You think you're hot shit? Well, let's just see about that!" The boy winds his arm back, and Ishimaru takes a defensive stance, ready to block the hit, but Mukuro is faster. She grabs the boys fist, and twists his arm upside down, until his screams in pain.

"Like, if you think you're gonna lay a hand on my man, you got another thing coming!" She says in a sassy tone, before she releases the boy. He quickly stumbles backwards, not having expected _that_ , and his girlfriend quickly rushes over and coddles him with affection, before she turns her glare at Mukuro.

"How dare you? What kind of girl are you?" She says, and Mukuro visibly flinches. Oh no...she had reacted as a soldier, not as a girlfriend… now she's done it. She's ruined everything. She's failed to be a proper girlfriend, she'll never-

"The best kind of girl, that's what!" Mukuro snaps out of her self loathing at Ishimaru's exclamation. "She's a kickbutt girl who doesn't take any crap from anyone, and she knows how to properly defend herself, so she doesn't have to cling to me like some...whimpering child!" He says, stammering at the end, and Mukuro feels happy, not expecting the praise. When the girl turns to say something, Ishimaru glares at her before turning to face Mukuro.

"Come on _babe_ , let's leave these losers alone." Ishimaru says, grabbing Mukuro's hand and quickly pulling her away.

"Oh my goodness I am so sorry Ikusaba! I didn't mean to act like that!" Ishimaru says as soon as they are both sure the couple and anyone watching is very far away. He bows low, and Mukuro grabs his shoulders to pull him up.

"Ishimaru, it's okay. It was my fault, I was the one who started that. I apologize." She bows her head, and Ishimaru tilts his head.

"It's alright, although I was surprised. You're never usually so...vocally assertive?" He says, putting a fist to his chin in thought.

"I...wasn't really trying to act like myself. I had been trying to think of something to talk about, and I had thought 'what would Junko do in this situation?' So I had been emulating her…" Mukuro says sheepishly, looking towards the ground, feeling really silly. She waits for Ishimaru to confirm that, but she looks up when he begins to laugh.

"We seem to have had a similar idea, Ikusaba." Ishimaru says once his giggles have calmed down, and Mukuro raises an eyebrow. "I was trying to figure out a way to sound cool, and my first thought was 'What would _Mondo_ do in this situation', since he's the coolest person I know." Once Ishimaru says that, everything makes sense, and Mukuro also begins to giggle.

"I think we both wound up acting like fools instead." Ishimaru continues, and Mukuro nods in agreement.

"Perhaps we should just act like ourselves from here on out." Mukuro says, and Ishimaru smiles at her, nodding firmly in agreement. It is then that she hears a melody in the distance that she recognizes, and she turns her head. "Do you want some ice cream?" She asks, pointing to where the sound is coming from.

"That sounds lovely, however, I'll go get it for us. After making you rush away, it's only fair you get to relax." Ishimaru says, and Mukuro admits to herself that her legs feel sore, not used to running in heels.

"Sure, I'll go sit on that bench." She says, and Ishimaru quickly rushes in the direction of the melody as she takes a seat on the bench, letting her legs relax. She smiles as she watches Ishimaru speed walk off. He may be pretending to be her boyfriend, but he's starting to become a really good friend in her eyes, and she decides that _that_ is one silver lining to this entire situation.

The ice cream truck is surrounded by young children all craving a cold treat in the heat. Kiyotaka stood back a ways, not wanting to get trampled on by the tiny jumping feet. He would be patient, wait until their parents took hold of them and they each got their ice cream before he went over. Even though Mukuro is waiting for him down the path, he isn't going to risk letting their ice creams drop because one of the children had accidentally bumped into him. That would be a terrible thing to happen on a date!

As he waits, he looks around to admire the park's scenery. How gently the trees sway from the slight breeze, the birds hopping around on the brown stone path, eagerly looking for some scraps people have dropped while walking through. The park isn't extremely crowded today, and it's tidier than usual. Most of the time he'd walk through it was somewhat littered with wrappers and junk. He's happy it's this easy going today; it helps ease his mind. He's always terrible with largely crowded places. He'd get extremely anxious, and would usually have to excuse himself in order to feel the constricting feeling in his chest finally dissipate. As he continues to wait, he notices a couple that seemed to be looking for something, and when the boy turns around, Kiyotaka is able to recognize him easily.

"Hey, Ishimaru!" Makoto calls out to him, waving happily. Kiyotaka waves back and makes his way over to his classmates.

"Hello Naegi, hello Kirigiri. How are you two today?" Kiyotaka asks once he's close enough. The girl nods at him in greeting, and continues her search.

"We're doing alright, just looking for something Kyoko dropped." Makoto replies, rubbing his neck sheepishly. "I didn't think I'd see you here, I thought you said you spend your Saturday's studying at home?"

"I do! However I am currently on a date with Mukuro, and I was going to get some ice cream for the two of us." Kiyotaka replies, puffing out his chest and grinning. Kyoko pauses from her search to look up at the two.

"...You're on a date with Ikusaba?" The detective asks, and Kiyotaka nods affirmatively.

"Yes, she's down that way waiting for me to bring her some ice cream." He gestures towards the stone path that leads to the parks center, and Kyoko's line of sight follows it, before she turns back and gives Kiyotaka an inquisitive glance. Kiyotaka tries to figure out what could have said to earn such a look, but doesn't have a chance to inquire further as Naegi laughs and places his hand on Kiyotaka's shoulder. The moral compass feels proud that he doesn't flinch at the contact. He likes Naegi, always there for others, friendly. He can't think of a single person in their class that doesn't like the easy-going boy. Its people like Naegi who he aspires to be. He tries, oh he's tried, but most people don't seem to enjoy his company as much as they do Naegi's.

"I'm glad that you're going out more Ishimaru. You usually talk about how you're cooped up in your house all weekend, so it's great that you're dating Ikusaba. It'll be good for both of you really." Kiyotaka looks down at his feet, unsure how to take the unexpected compliment that had been thrown his way. He shuffles his feet nervously, and tries to think of something to say.

"Oh, the ice cream truck isn't crowded anymore. You said you were going to get ice cream right?" Makoto points out, and Kiyotaka snaps to attention before spinning around. Sure enough, the once surrounded ice cream truck is now open, and Kiyotaka begins to rush over.

"Yes, I must be going! Have a great day Naegi, Kirigiri!" Kiyotaka says as fast as he can as he makes his hasty retreat. He almost scrambles to the ice cream truck and orders two vanilla cones. His mind is racing, moving from happiness to guilt and back again. On the one hand, Kiyotaka is elated that he is making progress on socializing, but on the other hand, he feels guilty that he didn't even say 'thank you' to Naegi for the compliment, and just fled from them all together. As he spots Ikusaba waiting for him where he left her, Kiyotaka realizes that while he has made some progress, he still has a long way to go before he can even consider himself a proper conversationalist.


	7. Self Doubts

Mukuro shuts her front door with a small sigh, her smile dropping from her face. She had just said goodbye to Kiyotaka after their park date, waving her new friend off happily, but her mind is a mess. She slowly takes off the heels and rubs at her feet, before she quietly enters the house, not wanting to disturb Junko with any loud noise. Rather, she didn't wish to face Junko just yet, because she's starting to wonder if her sister's plan is...accurate.  
Junko had told her that to get Naegi's attention, she had to make him jealous, but from what Kiyotaka had told her in the park, about how happy he was that they were dating, and the fact he was with Kirigiri, it doesn't appear that her dear sister's plan was working.

What if...Junko was wrong?

But that made no sense, because Junko was never wrong. This plan had to be correct, there was no way her sister would lead her astray. Sure, Junko had her moments, but she'd always make sure Mukuro was on the right track. So then, why wasn't this working? Was she not being a good enough girlfriend? Was she missing something?

As Mukuro continues to walk deeper into the shared flat, she festers more and more about why this plan wasn't working, even going so far as thinking she had picked someone not compatible with her. She pauses outside of her bedroom door, hand resting on the doorknob. That couldn't be right. Ishimaru had been such a huge help so far, and he's been really good to her by even helping with this elaborate scheme, he's been so-

 _"Ishimaru is a good guy, like a **really** good guy._"

Oowada's words come back to her in a flash, and her anxiety spikes even higher. Ishimaru was a good guy, and he shouldn't have to be helping her with this, especially if this wasn't working. She promised Oowada that she wouldn't hurt his friend, and she meant it.

Junko's obnoxiously loud laughter snaps her out of her reverie. Mukuro turns her head towards her sister's room, wondering what she could possibly be laughing at. The soldier takes a deep breath, before she marches towards Junko's room. She knocks on the door lightly.

"Junko? Can I talk to you?" She waits for a response, which she gets in the form of a sigh. The door swings open, and Junko gives her a bored look, before she gestures to go in. Mukuro quickly walks into her sister's room and stands by the large dresser so not to knock anything over. Junko shuts the door and goes to lay across her plush bed.

"So what is it?" Junko asks her, and Mukuro flinches. Don't get intimidated, even if it's Junko. She steels her nerves, and says what's been on her mind.

"I don't think the plan is working." Mukuro says in a smaller voice than intended, but she said it. She watches as Junko sits up and looks at her, eyebrows furrowing.

"What do you mean you don't think it's working? You've only been at it for what...a week? You can't expect results that quickly. This kind of thing takes time Mukuro."

"But Naegi isn't acting jealous at all."

"And how do you know that? What are you a mind reader now?" Junko shoots back, annoyance seeping into her voice. Mukuro looks to the ground sheepishly, before she looks back up at Junko.

"No, but Ishimaru ran into him today with Kirigiri, and he told me that Naegi had been extremely supportive that the two of us were dating, not jealous. I'm...concerned that this plan might not work out…" Mukuro trails off as Junko's face goes cold.

"Oh, what, you're just going to believe Ishimaru, the idiot who can't read social cues to save his life, that easily? For all you know, Naegi could have been seething with jealousy!" Junko snaps, and Mukuro frowns.

"Ishimaru isn't an idiot Junko, he's been really helpful and-"

"What? Sweet? Kind? _Boyfriend material?_ What are you falling for Ishimaru now, of all people? Honestly Mukuro get a grip!"

"No! Ishimaru is an ally who has done so much for me, and I'm tired of faking this whole thing!" Mukuro snaps at her sister, who looks surprised, but Mukuro keeps going. "I'm tired of pretending I actually like Ishimaru romantically when I don't feel that way towards him. I'm tired of pretending to be extremely girly and weak when that isn't what I am. I'm tired of pretending this relationship is real!" She thinks of Ishimaru, who is trying so hard to be a good boyfriend, when he could be with someone else who truly cares about him that way. She thinks of Oowada, and the hurt in his eyes that she's 'dating' the person he cares about most. She thinks about _herself_ , and how she knows that she might not ever be with Naegi, but she would rather watch her friends be happy over her own.

"Are you quite finished?" Mukuro's eyes widen and Junko stands up. "You do realize that you aren't _faking_ anything right?" The soldier straightens, confused. "You're not faking Mukuro, you're _practicing_. You're preparing yourself for when you actually get with Naegi. You've never been in a relationship before, remember? So this whole thing with Ishimaru is like a test run." Junko places a hand on Mukuro's shoulder, squeezing it tight. Too tight. "I'm trying to help you get ready for that. Plus, you're helping your _friend_ too, aren't you?"

"I-I guess so."

"I _know_ so! Have I ever been wrong before?" Junko asks, and Mukuro shakes her head. "Exactly! Now, do you have any other concerns?" Mukuro shakes her head again, and Junko smiles before pushing her towards the door. "Good, because I have some things I need to do, and you need to wash that make up off of your face before it makes your giant pores even bigger!" Mukuro flinches, but obliges, heading out of her sisters room, uttering a thank you, before the door is slammed shut.

Junko glares daggers at the door. Stupid Naegi! He was supposed to have been home today, according to what she heard earlier in the week, not out with Kirigiri! Thank God Ishimaru was too stupid to realize that he had probably been on a date together, because that would have really thrown a wrench into her plans. Now she has to deal with this headache of an issue with Mukuro! Once again she's been a giant disappointment, having to grow attached to the stick up his ass hall monitor of all people, and it's more than likely she isn't going to go through with this fully.

She walks over to her bed once more, pulling out the recorder she had hidden underneath her pillow. She rewinds the recorder, before pushing play.

 **"I'm tired of faking this whole thing!"**

Mukuro's little speech sure did give her a lot of ammunition to work with. She has quite a way with words. At least now Junko has a backup plan, having expected something like this to happen. And she knows just the person to send this too in case this whole thing goes south.

The despair hunting fashonista begins to giggle once more. She's going to have her despair one way or another!


	8. The Confession

After the park date, the unlikely "couple" was able to feel slightly more relaxed with each other, and the "dates" didn't feel as awkward as they had initially. If anyone would ask her, Mukuro would tell people that she is comfortable in her relationship with Kiyotaka. That's the truth: She is indeed comfortable when she goes on "dates" with Ishimaru, because she has found that she honestly enjoys spending time with the moral compass. She's come to realize that Ishimaru understands her a lot more than she had thought previously, and the familiarity that she had felt when working together has formed into a strong bond that she doesn't wish to ruin. She's never had anyone to really talk to besides Junko, and as much as she loves her sister dearly, it's hard for her to talk to her about certain things without being considered boring, especially after she had voiced her concerns to Junko a few weeks ago. Ishimaru has become a great ally to her...maybe a _friend_ if she's feeling selfish.

... _Selfish_...Mukuro grimaces. She's been feeling quite selfish a lot lately.

The café is close to empty, with a quiet hum in the background as the low jazz music plays over the radio. Mukuro sits with a warm cup of coffee in her hand, not looking at the boy sitting across from her. Her stomach is in knots as she tries to think of something, anything to talk about, her sister's suggested topics sounding meaningless as she thinks of what to say.

"Mukuro? Aren't you going to drink your coffee?" She finally glances up at Kiyotaka, concern etched on his pale face. "It'll get cold if you wait too long."

Mukuro sighs in frustration, leaning back into the maroon booth seat and looks up at the ceiling. She's beginning to realize how hopeless this plan is. What are they still doing this for? Clearly she hasn't got Naegi's attention, and why would she? She was just plain, boring Mukuro, or as her sister would call her, a disappointment. Even with the flattering make-up, the brand new wardrobe, and a "boyfriend" of her own, Naegi hasn't looked her way once! He congratulated her and Kiyotaka, and that had been it. If he was jealous at all, he would have shown it by now, right?

"Mukuro, correct me if I'm wrong, but…" Kiyotaka trails off, and Mukuro looks over at him again. Kiyotaka picks at the cuticles on his fingers before he continues. "Are you alright? You haven't said anything since I picked you up, and I thought we were supposed to be having a joyous conversation?"

Mukuro feels guilt churn in her empty stomach. Kiyotaka, despite his loud and boisterous nature, is very naive, and just as socially inept as she is, only having two friends, and has never been on any actual dates before. He should be going on dates with someone who he actually likes and enjoys being with, with someone who actually loves him. Not pretending to be on one with her just so she can use him, which is what she feels like she is doing.

"This is pointless." Mukuro finally says the repeating thoughts in her head. She tucks her short black locks behind her ears and continues, "This 'date', this 'relationship', this is all pointless!" As she goes on, her voice begins to go up in both volume and octaves as she releases all of the feelings she's been sitting on for days. "You shouldn't be going on fake dates with me; you should be going on dates with someone you actually like! And it's obvious that Naegi doesn't like me! Why would he? I'm nothing but a disappointment. I don't know how to talk to anyone, I scare people away because I'm too ugly, and I'm a boring conversationalist! I don't know why I'm even trying." Mukuro finishes, panting heavily, glaring at the small white coffee cup in front of her. She doesn't notice that she has the small table in a death grip until gentle hands attempt to pull them off. She blinks before she looks at Kiyotaka, and she's surprised that it's not shock written on his features, but hurt.

"Mukuro, I'm going to be honest with you." Kiyotaka speaks slowly, finally getting the distraught girl to let go of the table. "I agree with you that this is a pointless endeavor, pretending to be dating." He holds fast as Mukuro tries to pull her hands away, "But I don't believe in anything else that you said. You aren't a disappointment; you're very good at what you do. You don't scare people off; it's more that you don't give people a chance to really get to know you. And out of all these 'dates' that we've been on, not once have I found you boring." Kiyotaka finally lets go of her hands and fixes a stern glance in her direction.

"You're very smart, you're knowledgeable in many aspects that I wish to be. You can be funny when you don't expect it, and I have had a lot of fun." Mukuro feels her cheeks heat up at the unexpected praise, and Kiyotaka's face eases into a smile. "You've taught me a lot about how dating works and I think I finally have enough confidence to be able to ask someone out myself." Mukuro raises an eyebrow at that; Kiyotaka hasn't mentioned there was someone he likes before. "But if there's one thing I think that needs to be done, it's to end the façade of a relationship." Kiyotaka says, and Mukuro nods. He's right; this has gone on for long enough.

"If you want Naegi to know how you feel, you should tell him instead of trying to make him jealous!" Kiyotaka says, and Mukuro's good feeling deflates.

"I couldn't possibly do-"

"You most certainly can, I've seen you be assertive and confident when you help me out when doing our student council tasks at school. Just look at it like that and let him know how you feel." Mukuro hesitates for just a moment, before finding her resolve. Grinning, she takes hold of her now lukewarm coffee cup.

"I'll tell him tomorrow, at the end of school." She decides, and Kiyotaka nods before lifting up his cup.

"To future conquests!" He says, and Mukuro raises her own cup to join his toast.

"To new relationships!"


End file.
